How to Apply: Fellowships in Nuclear Radiology

Please Note: We are currently accepting applications for
2016.

How to Apply

Radiology residents who desire to begin a fellowship immediately
following the completion of their residency should apply in the late
fall/early winter of their 3rd year of radiology residency. Fellows are
selected on the basis of their medical training, general and academic
achievements, and personal qualities. No preference is given to any
particular medical school or geographic area, nor is race, sex, or
national origin a consideration. International medical graduates are
welcome to apply. A personal interview is required unless there are
exceptional circumstances.

If you are interested in applying, please send the following to
our Fellowship Coordinator, Sylvia Coffey, at the address
below:

Personal statement or letter of interest summarizing your training
background, areas of particular strength and interest, and describing
how you would hope to utilize and apply your medical training

Three current letters of recommendation, including one from
radiology residency program director. Letters should come from those
persons who are familiar with your recent training and current
professional activities. Please instruct reference individuals to
mail their letters of recommendation directly to Sylvia Coffey (contact
information below)

Table of Contents

Nuclear Radiology Fellowship Overview

Program
Objectives

The specific goals include objectives required for every level and
focused area of training, with graduated levels of supervision and
responsibility. All aspects of nuclear medicine imaging and therapy are
incorporated into the fellowship, including cardiac nuclear medicine.
During every training rotation, the fellow will read the required
material and study the teaching files in nuclear medicine. Over time,
the fellow will become progressively more knowledgeable about normal
scintigraphic anatomy and physiology and about the scintigraphic
appearance of disease processes. The structured training provides the
base for Board preparation (ABR Special Competency in Nuclear
Radiology) and the clinical and academic practice of Nuclear
Radiology.

Gain competence in the utilization and handling of
radiopharmaceuticals, and quality control of nuclear imaging
instruments and radiopharmaceuticals

Increasingly understand disease entities, their clinical
presentations, and current modes of treatment

Develop the know how to supervise and perform radionuclide
image-guided procedures

Learn how to function as an NRC Authorized User of radioisotopes
for diagnostic use and for therapies involving administered doses
<33 mCi I-131, administered doses >33 mCi I-131, and for
palliation of bone pain at the completion of the final rotation.

Establish a firm foundation of clinical knowledge and technical
expertise upon which to base further personal development in the field
of Nuclear Radiology

Develop familiarity with the signs and symptoms of disease entities
amenable to the diagnosis with Nuclear Radiology, and complementary
role of other imaging modalities

During every rotation, read the required material and study the
teaching file in nuclear medicine

Develop an understanding of common research methods and study
design as well as common pitfalls to clinical research, with emphasis
on application to Nuclear Radiology

Learn to perform and skillfully implement the clinical and
technical aspects of Nuclear Radiology procedures to maximize their
safe utilization

Become progressively more knowledgeable about normal scintigraphic
anatomy and physiology and about the scintigraphic appearance of
disease process

Develop a complete understanding of the fundamentals of radiation
physics, radiation biology, and radiation protection as they relate to
Nuclear Radiology

Serve as a learning resource for medical students, residents, and
ancillary medical staff and become actively involved with teaching of
residents

Develop the habit of routinely surveying the medical literature and
using this knowledge in patient care; this should be done before any
type of procedure or with any clinical presentation with which the
fellow is not completely familiar

Develop a bedside and clinic manner that meets the needs of
patients and provides a thorough patient assessment

Demonstrate a knowledge of and attitude for ethical practice

Have consistently professional behavior and good communication
skills

The fellow will know how to supervise and perform radionuclide
image-guided procedures at the completion of their fellowship

The fellow will know how to function as an NRC Authorized User of
radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes

The above goals and objectives are communicated to the fellow
through faculty and fellow meetings, email messages, and managerial
meetings. Print and Web-based materials are provided to all faculty and
staff, as well as the fellow. Fellowship supervision in Nuclear
Radiology is a combination of consultative and direct supervision with
graded increases in responsibility. Our general philosophy is that in
order to provide high quality clinical service and excellent fellowship
teaching, close fellowship supervision is important with progressively
increased responsibility as the fellow gains experience. Fellow
evaluations of performance are maintained by the Fellowship
Coordinator.

Services and Procedures

The Division of Nuclear Medicine provides full diagnostic and
therapeutic services with radioactive materials. Usual procedures
include studies such as radionuclide imaging and functional studies of
the kidney, lung, bone, liver, hepatobiliary system, thyroid and
infection. Tumor imaging is provided with MIBG, Octreoscan, MIBI,
radiolabeled antibodies, and I-131. Studies of the gastrointestinal
tract include quantitative gastric and esophageal emptying
studies, and scans for Meckel's diverticulum or gastrointestinal
bleeding. Brain imaging includes cisternograms, cerebrospinal fluid
flow and shunt studies, and planar and SPECT scans of cerebral
blood flow. SPECT/CT is also available.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is available using the latest
technology, PET-CT. PET-CT combines PET and CT in a single machine,
which is used to provide information about metabolism linked to CT
anatomy in a single exam. PET/CT is available for all approved clinical
indications, including oncologic, neurologic, and cardiac.

Therapeutic procedures include treatment of thyrotoxicosis and
thyroid cancer with radioactive iodine, and radioimmunotherapy for
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, therapy for bone pain due to bone
metastases, and radiosynovectomy.

Call

Following a transitional period in which graded responsibility is
transferred to the fellow, the fellow is assigned to call for weekends
(Friday night through Monday morning) on a rotating basis with a
frequency no greater than every 3rd weekend. The fellow
serves as a back-up from home to Radiology residents working in the
hospital that are available to cover all emergency or after hours
cases, with final back-up by a Nuclear Radiology attending.

Evaluation

Fellows are provided with written evaluation of their performance
four times during the program. The faculty performs evaluations of the
fellows' performance at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.

Anonymous evaluations by the fellows of the program are completed
annually, and faculty are anonymously evaluated quarterly. Faculty are
evaluated using a numerical scoring system on a wide variety of
clinical, teaching, and research skills.

Salary, Benefits, and Academic
Stipend

Our fellows receive an annual salary that is competitive with
compensation offered by other institutions. They receive medical and
dental care benefits for themselves and their immediate family.
Additionally, malpractice insurance is provided at no charge.

Our fellows receive an annual stipend. This stipend is to cover
expenses related to attending meetings or buying books. Each fellow is
encouraged to attend one educational meeting of his/her choice.

Vacation and Leave Policy

Fellows have 22 days of vacation time plus additional time off
at holidays. Additional time off is granted for fellows presenting at
national Radiology meetings.

Office Space

Fellows have combined office space with several cubicles, separate
computers, telephones, and PACS.

Address

University of Virginia School of Medicine
Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging
Box 800170
Charlottesville, VA 22908

[Physical address (for all other forms of delivery)]

University of Virginia School of Medicine
Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging
1215 Lee Street
Charlottesville, VA 22908

The Nuclear Radiology Fellowship at the University of Virginia
is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
Education (ACGME).

The University of Virginia School of Medicine is accredited by
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The University of
Virginia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer; women,
minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to
apply.